


Adventuring for Two

by Onlyslightlyamusing



Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: F/M, Idk how to tag yet, Morning Sickness, Pregnancy, mention of throwing up, no beta we die like men, pregnant!Veth
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-11
Updated: 2020-03-17
Packaged: 2021-03-01 01:48:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,906
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23107240
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Onlyslightlyamusing/pseuds/Onlyslightlyamusing
Summary: This wasn’t the first time Veth had felt this way in the past few days. This wasn’t the first time she had felt this way in the entirety of her life. Despite her time as a goblin having fogged some of her memory, there were some senses that she couldn’t forget. She leaned her body against a tree and wiped the corner of her mouth.(I need to get home soon.)A.k.a. Veth realizes that she’s pregnant and the timing isn’t great.
Relationships: Veth Brenatto & Caleb Widogast, Veth Brenatto & The Mighty Nein, Veth Brenatto/Yeza Brenatto
Comments: 11
Kudos: 115





	1. A Familiar Feeling

**Author's Note:**

> **This story was conceptualized after the events of episode 98! Any episodes after that will not be taken into consideration!**
> 
> This is my very first published fic! I hope you enjoy!

The eve of TravelerCon was approaching quickly. With the events that occurred during the peace negotiations and the silent agreement between everyone to be extra protective of Fjord, it seemed like the Mighty Nein hadn’t had a break from the tension since departing from Nicodranas. Luckily, Jester and Artagan were able to take the lead on preparations for the Con. The rest of the Nein were there mainly for support and to provide six extra sets of hands. 

It was two days before the event when Veth woke up uncomfortably early, sitting up to the twisting feeling of nausea. She stood up slowly, stepping over the forms of her friends and slipping out of the dome. They had set up camp on the beach, about 30 feet out from the small jungle at the base of the volcano that she was now heading towards. She stopped only a few feet into the treeline before heaving into the underbrush.

This wasn’t the first time Veth had felt this way in the past few days. This wasn’t even the first time she had felt this way in the entirety of her life. Despite her time as a goblin having fogged some of her memory, there were some senses that she could never forget. As she sat on her hands and knees on the ground, she remembered the gentle hand of her husband on her back whenever she felt unwell. She remembered the hopeful look in his eyes as they walked hand-in-hand to visit the local physician. She remembered the tears in his eyes as he smiled at her, almost the happiest he had ever looked.

She rose to her feet as the sickness subsided. Even though she knew her friends were sleeping nearby, she felt incredibly alone. In that moment, Veth longed to be with her husband more than she ever had before. She leaned her body against a tree and wiped the corner of her mouth.

(I need to get home soon.)

Veth felt a small pang of anxiety in the back of her head. At this point, the plan was to leave immediately after TravelerCon to search for a way to force Uk’otoa’s gaze away from Fjord. There had already been a second attack against them on the way to Rumblecusp. This one had been worse than the last. Everyone was afraid of what could be coming next. The longer they waited, the more danger everyone was in.

This was not the best time for this to be happening. Did she regret not being as careful? Absolutely not. After being apart from each other for so long, she loved being able to share that intimacy with Yeza again. Did she wish that this could’ve happened at a different time? A little bit, yeah. 

She looked up to watch the early morning light begin to peek over the endless ocean horizon. Her friends would be awake soon. She didn’t want any of them to worry about her, not yet at least. Grateful for her ability to move quietly, she carefully walked back to the dome, settling herself between two bodies and pretending to be asleep again. She took a slow, deep breath in and out the same way Beauregard had taught her, attempting to calm her mind. Suddenly, she felt someone shift directly to her right.

“Are you okay Veth?”

(Dammit.)

Caleb had turned over to look at her, his accent much thicker after just waking up. She turned to meet his gaze. He looked mostly tired, but there was a hint of concern in his eyes. 

“Yeah, I’m alright. Just had to ah… take a shit in the woods.”

Caleb furrowed his brows at her excuse, but there was a slight smile on his face. 

“It has been a while since either of us have needed to do that.” Veth hummed in acknowledgment, thinking back on the first few months they spent together outside of that jail cell. Caleb rolled onto his back to look up at night sky, growing lighter and lighter. His eyes darted to quickly identify the last few remaining stars in the sky. 

“A lot has changed since then, hasn’t it, Veth the Brave?”

She hugged herself around the middle, feeling her nails press against her sides. Not claws, nails. For a brief moment, she couldn’t help but smile. 

“Yeah… Caleb, I-”, she thought for a moment about telling him, but the air caught in her throat. She felt his gaze turn to her. He must have seen the poorly concealed conflict in her eyes.

“What is it?”

The Zemnian accent was naturally harsh and rough around the edges. At times, Caleb’s voice could sound more like a growl than the voice of a human man. Now though, his voice was softer. It didn’t need to be said anymore, she could hear in his voice that he cared for her. The thought of telling him what was going on weighed on her mind. He could help her organized the frazzled thoughts in her head. They could work together to figure out what to do. He could help calm the nerves slowly and steadily building inside of her. She needed to figure out something quickly, and she couldn’t figure it out herself. She wanted to tell someone. 

“Just… Thank you again. I wouldn’t be here like this without you. That’s all.”

In some ways, she was still learning how to be brave.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WOw, first chapter done! 
> 
> Like I said earlier, this is my first time publishing a fic! I'm still learning how to do this ao3 thing, so any constructive criticism is welcome!
> 
> I'm not sure when I'll be updating with the next chapter, but I already have it half-written, so it should be relatively soon (plus I have more free time now since my university started spring break early). 
> 
> I hope you enjoyed! <3


	2. Thinking Between the Seams

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we go, second chapter!!
> 
> I'm really proud of this one, so I hope you enjoy!

Veth, luckily, had a lot of time to think that day. 

Jester needed help finishing the green cloaks that she wanted to hand out to all of the TravelerCon attendees. Those of the Mighty Nein who knew how to sew, Veth, Beauregard, and Caduceus, were put in charge of making as many cloaks as they could. The others were helping with some of the bigger things that needed to be set up at the naturally raised plateau near the base of the volcano that would serve as the main location of TravelerCon. Jester floated between the two groups, overseeing everything with Artagan’s advising. 

Team Cloak-Makers had set up near the bottom of the plateau, close enough to occasionally hear Jester shouting orders or squealing with excitement (and close enough to protect each other if something went wrong). The many yards of green fabric had already been cut, so they only needed to repetitively sew the pieces together. They occasionally made light conversation, especially when Jester came to check on them and help sew a few cloaks herself, but mostly the three of them worked in comfortable silence. 

Veth took this time to think quietly to herself while she worked. Sewing reminded her of when she would make clothes for Luc when he was little. Baby clothes were easier to make than children’s clothes. The shapes were simpler. She could remember sitting in the newly built nursery in her and Yeza’s old home while she was pregnant with Luc, sewing a little set of pajamas for him. She had looked up from her work to see Yeza in the doorway, leaning against the doorframe and smiling fondly at her. 

She couldn’t lie to herself. The idea of experiencing that again with her husband was exciting. Since having Luc, she and Yeza had discussed wanting to start a bigger family together. They had actually made plans to start trying again just before the goblins made their big raid on Felderwin. Everything that had happened since the attack was such a whirlwind. She hadn’t had a chance to think about it again until she was forced into a jail cell with nothing but her thoughts. 

She didn’t know if she would ever see Luc or Yeza again, let alone have another child. Surrounded by nothing but cold stone walls, all she could see was how much the happiness in her life had crumbled down around her. There were many things that she was not, but now she was not even herself. She looked down at her hands. The hands that had once held her baby were disgusting and unrecognizable. She could never hold him again. Not like this. She moved to the far corner of the cell, curling up to try and become as small as possible. Maybe, just maybe, she would disappear and wake up in her bed next to Yeza and the last six months had been a horrible nightmare. For the first time in a long time, she cried openly without the goblins reprimanding her. 

She hadn’t known how much time had passed, but her spiraling thoughts were interrupted by a young man being thrown into the cell with her. She heard the guard who had been carrying him yell out, “filthy wizard!”, as he shut the cell door violently. 

(A wizard, huh…)

The moment she met that wizard, her life began to change. As they became closer, Caleb told her about what was and what could be possible with magic. Most of it was nonsensical rambling, but Veth - Nott, actually; that was what he was calling her now - could tell that he was just desperate for someone to listen to him. And not all of what he spoke of went immediately over her head. He talked of people transforming themselves into the form of something else. Polymorphing, he called it. He must’ve noticed the way her ears had instinctually perked up at that idea because he began to describe the magic in detail. He talked about rituals and components and strange words recited in particular orders. For the first time since her family was captured, Nott allowed herself to feel a little hopeful. 

Now, unbelievably, she was herself again and she had her family back. All because of the wizard who has changed so much since she first met him. 

Her mind was drawn back to the present. Her dream of growing her little family could be coming true at this very moment, and she was on an island volcano in the middle of nowhere, thousands of miles away from her husband. She needed to get back to him soon, but she didn’t know how to do that without derailing everything the Mighty Nein needed to do. Fjord was being tracked by some sort of undersea horror who grew more desperate by the day. After that was figured out, they would probably need to return to Rosohna to check up on Essek and the goings-on of the Dynasty. Even before any of that, they needed to finish helping Jester. 

Veth had a commitment to the Mighty Nein, but now she had to think of the future of her family. It was different when her family could be kept safe in Nicodranas, but now she was carrying a part of it with her. How could she consciously go into dangerous situations knowing it wasn’t just her safety on the line? 

(Okay, okay, okay, okay…)

She needed to explain what was happening. As much as she wanted her husband to be the first person she shared this with, that probably couldn’t happen in this situation. She would need to tell the Mighty Nein first. But with TravelerCon happening in less than 48 hours, there was no way they would be able to take her back to Nicordranas before then. Caleb could teleport them there, sure, but they had no way to return to Rumblecusp that quickly. They could technically ask Essek, but now didn’t seem like the right time to ask for more favors. 

Maybe she would just wait until after TravelerCon. It would only be two days, nothing too terrible could happen in that time. Waiting would be more convenient for the group as a whole. Plus, it gave her extra time to figure out what she was going to say to everyone. They would be understanding. Everything would be oka-

“HEY VETH!~”

Veth jumped, nearly stabbing herself with a needle as she yelled instinctually. She looked up to see both Beau and Caduceus looking at her while Jester stood in between them, leaning down to look her in the eye.

“Are you okay?”, Jester asked, tilting her head in the adorable way she always did when she was curious.

“Yeah, you kinda spaced out there for a second”, Beau added, arms crossed in front of her, “You stopped sewing.”

Veth looked down to see that she had indeed stopped making any progress on the cloak she was working on. 

“Yeah, uh, I’m fine”, she responded a little too quickly, “I think I just need to take a break.” She set down the fabric in her lap and began to stand, ignoring the slight wave of nausea that came with it.

“Why don’t I take a break with you?”, Jester said, and Veth noticed that she sounded tired, “We could take a little walk on the beach? Far away from the water, of course.” Veth smiled at her concern.

“Yeah, that sounds nice.”

Jester took Veth’s hand in hers as they walked together towards the shore. They took off their shoes and walked barefoot through the sand, eventually sitting down together with their backs against a rock facing the sea. 

“How have you been doing, Jessie?”, Veth eventually asked. She sighed heavily.

“I’m really excited for TravelerCon to happen, but it’s just so stressful, you know? I’ve got to get everything set up, and prepare all of the events and things, and make sure the Traveler is doing okay and he’s not gonna like, chicken out or something. I’m happy to help him, but it’s just a lot I think.” 

Veth smiled sympathetically. Sometimes everyone could forget how young Jester really was. She reached over to give her a little pat on the knee.

“Well, we’re all here to help you. We’ll make sure you get through this okay.” 

“Thank you Veth”, Jester replied, smiling down at her, “We’re all here for you too, okay? Don’t be afraid to tell us if something is on your mind.”

As Veth started to open her mouth to respond, another wave of nausea hit her, worse than the one she had felt before. She stood up suddenly, startling Jester.

“Veth? What’s wrong?”

“I just- I need to go really quick. I’ll be right back”, Veth had already turned away from Jester and was heading towards the treeline as quickly as she could. She just barely made it to the trees before falling to her knees and throwing up for the second time that day. Faintly behind her, she could hear quiet footsteps and a pair of gentle hands pulling her hair away from her face.

When Veth felt well enough to sit up on her knees, Jester was kneeling beside her with an arm around her shoulders.

“Oh no, Veth…”, Jester said sympathetically, pulling a handkerchief from somewhere and handing it to her, “have you been feeling sick today?”

Veth put the handkerchief to her mouth and decided just to nod in response. Jester squeezed her shoulders lightly.

“Would you like to go lie down and rest somewhere? You don’t have to help out anymore today if you aren’t feeling well.”

Slightly embarrassed, Veth just nodded again and let Jester help her to her feet and lead her towards the Ball Eater. Jester insisted that she use the larger bed in her quarters instead of the hammock she normally slept in. As Jester was about to leave and let her rest, Veth had an idea.

“Hey, Jessie?”, Jester paused in the doorway and turned to look at her again, “Are you able to send any messages today?”

“Yes, of course”, she walked back over to sit on the edge of the bed, “would you like to send a message to your family?” Veth nodded.

“To Yeza, specifically. And, ah, please don’t tell him that I’m sick, I don’t want him to worry or anything. I just… I think I miss him, is all.” Veth thought very briefly about telling Yeza everything that was happening right now, but she quickly decided against it. As much as she desperately wanted to tell him, it would be unfair to him to give this news indirectly through a message. After talking it through with Jester, and only arguing a little bit over how to format it, they settled on what to say to Yeza. Jester performed the ritual movements and began casting the spell.

“Hello Yeza! Veth wants to know, how are you and Luc doing? She loves you and misses you and wants to come home soon!”

There was a very brief pause before Jester heard Yeza’s response in her mind.

“Ah, hello! We’re doing well. Marion found him a tutor, and I’ve found a few places that we could possibly move into. Tell Veth I love-”

The message got cut off, but Jester could fill in the gaps.

“He says they are doing very well, Mama found a tutor for Luc and he says he might’ve found a place for you to stay in Nicodranas! He loves you very much and can’t wait for you to be home again.”

Veth smiled. A year ago, she couldn’t have imagined that her family would be able to be together again. Now, her husband and son were safe, and their family had the opportunity to grow again.

“Thank you, Jester.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I want to take this time to quickly say Happy 5th Anniversary to Critical Role! I have only become a critter very recently, but I'm so excited to be a part of this community!
> 
> I hope you enjoyed this chapter! It ended up being more than double the length of the first one. I normally don't write this quickly, but I've been very inspired by this story. Special thanks to anyone who left a comment. You all were so sweet!
> 
> Thank you for reading! <3


	3. Second Love, First to Know

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter three is finally here! Thank you for your patience!
> 
> Please enjoy!

Lying flat on her back in Jester’s bed, Veth stared at the ceiling and tried to come up with a plan. 

She had definitely decided on waiting until after TravelerCon to tell the group. With things being as busy as they were recently, it would just be easier to wait until there was one less thing on everyone’s plate. Once TravelerCon was over, they would have the time to sit down and discuss the best course of action going forward. 

But how was she supposed to start that conversation? It had been different when she first became pregnant with Luc. Her and Yeza were a simple halfling couple with nothing to worry about beyond the four walls of their home. Telling him had been nothing but shared excitement and love between the two of them. Now, she and the Nein were partly responsible for the fate of two nations, and had meddled in almost everything else along the way. They were busy, to say the least, and she felt guilty having to halt what they were doing and depart from the group.

The logical part of her brain told her that she shouldn’t worry about it. These people cared about her and her family. They had already willingly followed her through miles of underground tunnels directly into Xhorhas just to find her husband. They would tell her, “No problem!”, and be happy to help her. In spite of logic, she had spent a large portion of her life trying to be as little of a burden to others as possible. She couldn’t shake those habits easily. 

Maybe it would help to start by telling only one person, rather than confronting all of the Nein at once. That person could help her process everything beforehand, and then be there with her when she shared the news. The more she thought about it, the better the idea seemed. 

But who would be the right person to tell first?

Telling Yasha or Beau first didn’t feel right. Veth knew that they cared about her, but they also seemed like the types that wouldn’t really know the right way to respond in this situation. There was a chance that they might just awkwardly say, “okay”, and leave it at that. 

Fjord would probably assume that she was joking with him at first. Under different circumstances, that would be really funny. However, that wasn’t really how she wanted to start this conversation. 

Caduceus might be a decent option. He has a big family, he probably has experience with this. His response would be warm and happy, but it could also be overly simple. Veth could already picture the low rumble of his voice saying, “oh, that’s nice”, with a cheerful smile. 

Jester could be either really good or really bad. She could be super sweet and understanding, and immediately do her best to help the same way she had when they first visited Felderwin. But she could also become overly excited and proclaim the news for everyone to hear. She loved Jester dearly, but this was something that she’d prefer to tell everyone herself. 

Then there was Caleb.

Caleb’s relationship with family was strenuous at best. Veth also knew that he had been an only child, so he most likely had little to no experience with pregnancy. Though, she didn’t necessarily think that would matter in this situation. 

She had no way of knowing what his reaction might be. Panic? Confusion? Inability to process? Yet, she knew Caleb was someone who always had her best interests in mind. However he reacted, Veth would be willing to bet money on the fact that he would do everything he could to get her safely back to her family. If she needed to leave right away, he would be willing to go with her, whether they were traveling by teleportation circle or otherwise. 

Caleb was the reason she was herself again. She couldn’t look at her reflection or utilize her body, her real body, without being grateful for him. It dawned on her then that Caleb was the reason she and Yeza were even able to have children again. She had been indebted towards Caleb from the very beginning, but now it had a new meaning. One of her hands unconsciously drifted to rest on top of her stomach. 

(He was the reason this was possible… )

It was the truth when she had told him that he was the second love of her life. If anyone had to be the first to know, if it couldn’t be her husband, it was him. 

She was spooked from her thoughts by a knock on the door. She sat up quickly and glanced up at the porthole window. The sun had fallen lower in the sky since she had laid down to rest. The day was probably just starting to head into the early evening. She turned her attention back to whoever was behind the door.

“H-hello?”

“Veth?”, she heard the distinct sound of Caleb’s voice muffled through the wall, “Jester said you were not feeling well. Is it alright if I come in?”

(Caleb did always have good timing.)

“Yeah, you can come in.”

The door creaked open as Caleb stepped through and carefully closed it behind him. He looked up and met her gaze briefly before walking over and sitting on the edge of the bed in front of her. Once he had settled himself across from her, his head turned to look at her once again. His lips turned up into a slight smile; an action that felt less and less forced the longer she’d known him. 

“Are you okay?”, he asked. He was using the tone of voice he always used when checking in on her. 

“I’m, ah… “, she was trying to find the right way to describe how she was feeling, but she couldn’t think quick enough to prevent a heavy silence from filling the space between them. “I’m sorry, there’s just a lot on my mind right now. I can’t think straight.” She felt herself instinctually trying to make herself smaller, her upper body leaning forward and her arms wrapping tightly around herself.

Caleb frowned. His brows furrowed together, the same way they always did when he was concerned about something, or focusing on arcane equations. 

“Well, you can talk to me about anything, you know that. Even if the thoughts don’t make sense yet, you can just say them.”

She took a deep breath in and out, looking up for just a moment to meet Caleb’s concerned gaze. She knew that she needed to tell him, but something was making it more difficult than it should have been. Her irrational fears were winning in this situation. All she could think about was how inconvenient the timing was. Everyone would judge her for not being careful, and then they would all have to deal with it because of her. 

A gentle but firm hand settled on one of her shoulders.

“Veth”, hearing her name broke her out of her thoughts, drawing her gaze back up to Caleb’s. His eyes were soft, but stern. 

“I can tell you’re overthinking something right now.”

Veth sighed, feeling a little more frustrated with herself than anything else. 

“I probably am, but it’s also kind of complicated.”

Caleb removed his hand from her shoulder. He stayed silent, leaving the conversation open for her to continue talking. She swallowed to clear her throat. If she didn’t start saying something now, she feared that she wouldn’t end up saying anything at all. 

“I’ve, ah… I have been sick. I was sick this morning when I left the dome, and… I’ve been sick for a few days now actually.”

“Do you think it was something you ate?” Caleb asked. Veth almost laughed at how genuine, yet unaware his question was.

“No, no, I’m pretty sure it’s not that. Um… I’m not really sure how to say what I need to say, but I’m gonna need to say it soon cause if I don’t say it soon, it’s gonna be a problem.”

Caleb’s expression shifted, looking slightly more troubled than he had been before.

“I- you have me a little worried here, but please, tell me what’s wrong. I’m sure we can keep it from becoming a problem.”

(It was now or never.)

“Well, this- this isn’t the first time I’ve felt this way. Um… it’s been a little while, but the last time I felt this way…”, she paused for a moment to breathe deeply, “... was when I first became pregnant with Luc.”

She watched as Caleb processed the information. His eyebrows lifted slowly, his face gently falling into a surprised expression. His eyes widen at the realization. He turned his head downwards towards the floor to his right, bringing a hand up to run through the light stubble on his chin. His gaze returned to hers, an unsteady breath escaping from between his lips. 

“Well-”, Caleb soundlessly chuckled to himself, “why would you think that is a problem?”

“Because this is absolutely not the right time for this to be happening”, she laughed dryly in spite of herself, “I mean, I’m not even with my family. I’m on a goddamn volcano, we could be attacked by fish people at any moment, and I can’t go home without derailing everything the rest of you need to do.”

“Veth”, Caleb scooted slightly closer to her, both hands reaching down to hold her hands in his own, “it’s not a problem for us to take you home. We will get you to your family, and keep you safe in the meantime.”

Veth sighed heavily. That was the truth, she had known it deep down, but sometimes she just needed to hear it from someone else.

“How are you feeling, otherwise?”, Caleb asked, leaning down slightly to look at her more directly. She gave his hands a gentle squeeze.

“I’m happy, honestly. Yeza and I had talked about this before. Before everything.” 

Caleb smiled bittersweetly, returning her squeeze with one of his own.

“You’re the reason this is possible, Caleb. I hope you understand that.” Saying it aloud in front of him, Veth suddenly felt warm tears gathering in the corners of her eyes. For the first time, she didn’t think about the uncertainty of the situation. It was like reality was finally setting in. She was going to have another baby.

She smiled brightly as the tears spilled over and ran down her cheeks. Caleb gathered her up in his arms and hugged her, letting her cry happily into his coat. They stayed that way for a minute or more, the worry Veth had been holding in all day finally leaving her body. 

She repeated herself, “You’re the reason this is possible”, muffled into Caleb’s coat. He pulled away to look her in the eye, smiling at her tenderly.

“I am so happy for you.” 

She just continued to smile, reaching a hand up to wipe the tears away from her face. 

“Thank you, Caleb. For everything.”

He gave her a look as if to say, ‘of course’, and gave her shoulders one last squeeze.

“I will be honest, I am a little worried for you being here with us. We get into some dangerous situations, this group. What do you want to do next?”

“Well, there’s no way we can get to Nicodranas and back before TravelerCon starts. I’d like to get back to my family as soon as possible, but it seems like we’ll have to wait at least a few days.” She could tell by his face that Caleb was considering all of the possible options in his head. “But to start, I guess I have to tell everybody else.”

“Would you rather do that now, or wait until all of the festivities are finished?”

“My original plan was to wait, but I guess if there’s a time that feels right, I might say something before then.”

He nodded in understanding. “Whatever you choose, I’ll be here for you when it happens. Everyone is here for you.”

She returned his nod, feeling a little bit of weight off of her shoulders.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm a sucker for sweet moments between Caleb & Veth
> 
> I know this chapter took a bit longer to post than the first two, but this is closer to the pace that I normally write at. Expect the following chapters to update on a ~roughly~ weekly basis.
> 
> If I did the math correctly, there should be 3 to 4 chapters left in this story, so we are at about the half-way point right now. Ahhhhh, that's crazy!
> 
> Thank you, everyone, for reading! <3


End file.
